Secrets
by Ayame-chan
Summary: Novelization of 2nd ending to DQ8. In a dream, he sees a place that calls for him. Who would have thought that this place would turn out to be the source to all of his troubled memories? Herocentric, slight HeroxMedea. [Final chapter up, COMPLETE]
1. Chapter 1

**Dragon Quest VIII: Secrets**

**Narrative to the Alternate Ending of DQ8 by Ayame-chan **  
_-Chapter One: To the Dragovian Sanctuary-_

* * *

_DISCLAIMERS:_ Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King does not belong to me. That's Squeenix. (Besides, I don't think I would be writing here if I did own the huge videogame creators anyway...) 

_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_ An intriguing review arrived when I had completed"The Meaning of Happiness", wondering if I would attempt to do the 2nd, "true" ending of the game. I replied considering it, since I was a bit exhausted with the massive leveling up just to beat Rapthorne but as soon as I finished KH2, then came seeing what the real ending was like. Of course, this means having to level up a lil' bit more to be able to enter the optional dungeon.

Oooh boy, I got hooked again.

So, this is like "The Meaning of Happiness" -- it is a novelization of the 2nd ending. Except that I'm making this a tad bit longer since there needs to be some explanation, yes? (This will be comprised of 4 chapters instead of 3)

For those who have not read "The Meaning of Happiness", I've renamed the Hero as "Ryuuichi" -- loosely translated as "the first son of Ryuu". "Ryuu" in turn means "dragon". I thought it suited him.

Spoilers galore if you have not gotten this ending yet, I might add.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Are you sure you want to go, Ichi, my boy?" the small green troll-like creature asked him. "I do understand that you're young and want to explore the world while you still have it in you, but what about that mangly Rapthorne hovering up in the sky just waiting to unleash his full power on the world? And have you forgotten about this atrocious curse set upon Medea and myself??" 

He looked down at his hands which had been worn down from constant use with the sword. They were at Argonia's Inn to rest after collecting the seven orbs of the legendary seven sages. Their next destination was finally Rapthorne, but the young palace guard of Trodain wanted to check out one last place. He felt that he _needed _to go to this unknown temple high in the mountains.

"It is not far from here, Your Majesty," he replied and looked up. "I think...that this is a place that has to be done before we fight Rapthorne." He paused and shook his head. "No, I **know** that it must be done before fighting Rapthorne."

His king stared, testing his determination. The young man, in all the twelve years he served Trodain, had never asked for anything from King Trode until now. He was forever loyal to the kingdom, the place that gave him refuge and sanctuary after entering without a single memory in his head.

That is, except for his name.

The dream in his memories last night bothered him. The temple felt familiar yet unfamiliar to him at the same time. He **had **to go there and find out the source of his troubled thoughts. Something inside of him called to that place, even though he had never seen the temple before in his life.

...Or did he?

King Trode let out a sigh and tore his gaze away from the young man. "Very well, then. You have come this far with me, and I will grant this request of yours. Where exactly will we be going then?"

The young man smiled in gratitude and bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty. However, I cannot take you and the princess with me. I have a feeling that this place will be far too dangerous for you to accompany us. It would be best if you stay here in Argonia."

Trode nodded in understanding. "Very well. But I want you four to return here alive and well, do you hear me?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

------A few days later-------

"Finally, there's an end to this place," Angelo couldn't help but comment as they reached a pair of gates.

"Wot d'you suppose this place is, eh?" Yangus mentioned and plopped himself down on the ground, exhausted.

The young palace guard approached the gate, wondering to himself why the inscriptions were so familiar to him. It was the first time that he had ever been in this maze of caverns, with no real sense of time, but he guided his comrades through the entire area perfectly without a map of any sort. The monsters here were difficult to handle at times, as if they were created to **be **this powerful in order to protect whatever these gates now guarded.

He ran a hand through the foreign words engraved on the gates before it settled itself over one of the handles. Grabbing the other handle with the other hand, he took a deep breath and pulled. The doors did not budge. Figuring as much, he pulled harder at the doors before letting go. It felt as if the gates were merely pretty decoration.

"Great," he heard Angelo say. "We finally make it to the end of this place and we can't even get in?"

"Well, it's not like we can go back, you know," Jessica pointed out. "We don't even know how we got here in the first place other than that statue that sent us here."

"So wot do y'suppose we do now?" Yangus asked.

The palace guard eyed the gates with high scrutiny. There had to be something that they needed to open the gates, but his exhausted mind was too tired to figure out what. He figured that they had been wandering through here for days now with very little rest since the place was filled with dangers that couldn't afford a good night's sleep. It didn't help that the place seemed to have no sense of time; it was always bright outside.

His satchel began to move around, causing him to stir away from his thoughts and frustrations. His pet mouse hopped out and scurried up to the gates. The young man wondered what his pet was up to.

"...Munchie?"

He and the others watched the mouse pause at the gates as if waiting for a sign. Much to everyone's surprise, the insignia on the gates glowed in response to something and opened.

"Would ya lookit that," Yangus murmured in awe.

The young man noticed that his pet was not coming back like he usually did and instead had run on ahead into the fog that coated the next area. An odd sense of fear overcame him, half because there were still dangerous creatures about and the other half in fear of losing Munchie. Without thinking too much, he chased after his pet.

"Hey, Munchie! Where are you going?"

The fog was thick, and he could barely see what was in front of him. He wondered to himself if he had gotten himself lost and that thought made the young man more eager to find the mouse.

"Munchie!"

The fog soon cleared as he ran further, and he slowed to a stop, looking around. He was in the same barren land in the clouds, the same environment that he had been in for days now. He looked back in front of him to see a second gate with a similar inscription as the first.

"Hey, Guv!" Yangus' voice bellowed behind. His comrades caught up with him in the clearing. The rotund, muscular man stopped to catch his breath before speaking. "Cor blimey. Y'could've at least given us a wornin' or some'in before y'took off like that."

The young man chuckled, scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Where did your mouse run to?" Jessica asked.

He looked at his comrades, then at the second gate before turning back to them. "I don't know."

A small "poof" sound from behind caught their attention. An old man appeared out of the fog with a smile on his face, as if he had been expecting them. Yellow robes wrapped around his body and he had a graying mustache and goatee with his hair held in an unusual mohawk. He looked human, but the strange, web-shaped ears that he possessed told them otherwise.

Something in the old man struck a cord in the palace guard's memory. He looked awfully familiar...

"Greetings, humans," the old man greeted them, his voice soft yet hoarse as if it had been a long time since he used it. "Welcome to the Dragovian Sanctuary."


	2. Chapter 2

**Dragon Quest VIII: Secrets**

_-Chapter Two: Past Revealed-_

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Apologies for the delay...been busy with school and work sweatdrop Anyway, here is the next chapter!

**DISCLAIMERS:** DQ8 is not owned by me...just Squeenix...

**SPOILERS:** You need to have finished the game the first time before you can enter the optional dungeon and get the 2nd ending.

* * *

Yangus plopped himself onto the only bed in the large room, grinning happily as he rubbed his stomach. Jessica sat in a chair nearby while Angelo took his normal seating position against the wall not far from her. The young man used a short bookshelf in the room as his seat. 

"Oh man, I'm stuffed," Yangus announced. "I hadn' eat'in anythin' like that f'r a while. Gets y'filled right in th' tummy." He patted his full, round stomach for emphasis.

The young man couldn't help but smile at the former bandit's comment. He began to observe their surroundings out of habit while listening to the others talk.

It was a simple, spacious room. The walls were sparse of wall hangings of any sort and a cupboard and dresser sat on the opposite side where he was. The bed was in the middle of the room with a table and a pair of chairs -- one that Jessica was currently sitting at -- close by. In the corner closest to the bed was a locked chest. It was the type of bedroom that he would have if he ever had one but oddly enough, it felt familiar to him.

"You know, helping the Dragovians is good and all," Jessica spoke, "but don't you find Chen Mui to be a bit...odd? I mean, he acts as if he hasn't been here in a while. Yet how does he know so much about us?"

"What is even stranger than Chen Mui," Angelo added, his eyes set on the palace guard, "are the elders of this place. They seem to have known you for a while."

"Really? I didn' find nuffin' strange," Yangus said.

The palace guard met Angelo's gaze before he looked down at his hands. "To be honest...this place does _feel _a little familiar. I don't know who those people are, though, nor how they know me."

"Haven't you been with the king and the princess all your life, though?" Jessica asked him, a little surprised at the comment. Her cheeks turned a light pink as she scratched her cheek a little. "Not that I've been eavesdropping on your conversations or anything, but when I see you and the princess together at the spring, it looks like you two have known each other for a long time."

"Well..." the young man scratched the back of his head. "I actually arrived at the palace when I was eight. So...I guess you can say that we've been together since most of our childhood..."

"Wait," Angelo seemed to realize something. "You came when you were eight. You mean you weren't **born** in Trodain?"

He shook his head. "The captain of the guard at that time...he found me and Munchie and took me in as his son since he found that I had no relatives." He paused, wondering if it was right to reveal such a mystery to his own past. However, he figured that they would find out sooner or later and it was only right for them to know. "I...I actually don't remember what happened before then -- not even how I actually got to Trodain."

A small silence fell among them, not knowing what to say nor how to react. Even Yangus sat up at hearing his words; it made the young man a bit uncomfortable with such silence.

"...Amnesia?" Jessica finally said in a quiet voice.

The young man let out a light, somewhat bitter chuckle and smiled out of habit when he didn't feel comfortable with what he was talking about. "Something like that. I was actually lucky enough to remember my name: Ryuuichi."

He paused again before deciding to stand up and leave the room. His past really wasn't a topic that he liked to talk about very much, since he himself did not know much either. "I'll go speak to Chen Mui about our...suspicions."

With that, he walked away to find the old Dragovian and left his comrades to talk amongst themselves, brushing away what little remnants of his past behind.

* * *

_(The next day, some hours later...)_

Ryuuichi struggled to catch his breath as he and the others witnessed the large dragon transform back to its human form: a man who looked no older than himself with dark hair and amber eyes, wearing robes that were just as dark as the color of the hair on his head. The man was on one knee, clearly exhausted from battle but gone were the crazed eyes that had instilled fear in to Ryuuichi for a long time.

"What...what have I done?" the lord of Dragovians asked more to himself than to them, staring at his hands. "I was looking for a way to save my people and yet instead have diminished us to a mere few."

He looked up, stopping short at whatever else he was about to say when he met Ryuuichi's eyes. "You...so you have returned?"

The palace guard couldn't help but reply with a very confused: "Huh?"

His reaction caused the lord to change his demeanor. "Hmm... your memories have not returned it seems, Ryuuichi."

"Wait jus' one darn second," Yangus intervened into the conversation. "How do y'know Guv?"

"And not just you," Angelo added. "Everyone else in the village as well."

Ryuuichi scratched his head and sighed. He had told his comrades to not worry about him, but apparently they didn't listen.

The Lord of Dragovians glanced at his comrades before returning his gaze back to the palace guard.

"I believe that it would be easier for the one closest to you to explain the missing gap to your memories," he replied. Then in a much sterner voice he called, "Chen Mui, I can sense your presence here. Reveal yourself."

Ryuuichi felt his satchel move, and to his surprise, Munchie jumped out. His pet mouse scurried to the front where the lord stood and in a puff of smoke appeared the old Dragovian, his eyes filled with sorrow and guilt as he looked at the young palace guard. He, in turn, was left speechless.

* * *

_Once upon a time, not too long ago, a young Dragovian woman named Xia decided to explore the world beyond her home. There on her journeys she met a man named Eltrio. Eltrio was a prince to a human kingdom and next in line to the throne. It was love at first sight, but it was not meant to be..._

_Hearing the news of their union, Xia's father was outraged. He believed that humans and Dragovians could not co-exist together in the human world and forced Xia back with him to the Dragovian Sanctuary, where he believed that she would be safe._

_Eltrio, determined to get Xia back, ventured soon after. He fought long and hard aginst the powerful monsters that guarded the Sanctuary, regardless if he knew that he could not best them. All he wanted to see was Xia one last time..._

_A few days later, just before the gates, the Dragovians found Eltrio's beaten, lifeless body. Xia was devestated. For weeks, she would not eat, drink, nor speak and her sadness echoed throughout the home. Gradually, her life began to fade away. _

_Yet in the midst of her sadness, she discovered that she was pregnant with Eltrio's child. Despite the objections that she faced, she was determined to give birth to their child and saved the last bits of her strength to care for the being inside her up to the day the child arrived in the world. The baby was a boy, and the first half Dragovian, half human child._

_Xia's father's beliefs changed during this time. He could do nothing to ease her daughter's sadness and blamed himself for bringing her death. And so, to repent for his mistakes, he brought up his grandson as how he thought his daughter would. He fought against the Council's decision to send the child away, and it succeeded for eight long years until the Lord of Dragovians decided to send the half-Dragovian, half human boy away to the human world. Xia's father then had no choice._

_The Lord of Dragovians sealed away the boy's memory and sent him outside the gates to the unknown and dangerous world outside. His grandfather, Chen Mui, travelled alongside the boy in the guise of a mouse out of a request to the Lord to accompany him. In return, Chen Mui could not speak directly to the boy and could only hope that his grandson would venture out of the dangerous grounds beyond the Sanctuary safely...and accompanied him ever since._

Chen Mui handed him a ring as they sat over the fireplace of his home. Ryuuichi stared at hit as if it was some sort of foreign object, not knowing what to say. It was a typical silver ring with a familiar red jewel glittering inside.

"I believe that this was your father's," Chen Mui finally said to him after a while. "The jewel is an Argon's heart, won by your father during his trials into Argonia's Hunting Grounds. Your mother treasured this with all her heart when he gave it to her."

Something, somewhere deep inside rang with alarm as he fiddled with the ring, but he had so much to absorb and accept that it didn't really click to him just yet. The most important thing now was that he finally knew where he came from.

But it would only be after defeating Rapthorne did the palace guard see the significance behind his past.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dragon Quest VIII: Secrets**

_-Chapter Three: Bloodline-_

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Oh my...it's been a while since I updated this, huh? My most humblest apologies for those waiting for this chapter. I had been _extremely _busy with college work, and it wasn't very fun (well...I loved working on all the projects I had, but that sucked the term "life" out of me, unfortunately). And as I am typing this now, I have realized that this will probably be **five **chapters, not four. Which is nice for you, right? (I mean, you get to read more of this and all...)

Anyways, enjoy! I hope that the next one will come much faster than this considering that..._the semester is over_.

**DISCLAIMERS and WARNINGS: **Me no own DQ8, Squeenix does. Spoilers for the 2nd ending of the game. Read on if you dare!

* * *

He didn't quite know why he was coming back here again. The way to the Sanctuary was much harder now that the godbird Empyrea and her son had gone back to their true homeland. Ryuuichi now really had no way of getting to the Sanctuary other than climbing up the mountain where it stood. That in itself was no easy task. Doing it alone was even harder. 

But Ryuuichi wondered to himself if this was what his father had done to get there.

He poked at the fire with the stick in his hand before standing up to stretch his tired muscles. It had been five months since he and his comrades defeated Rapthorne and went their separate ways. Trodain was restored to its old glory, the curse no more. King Trode appointed him as the new captain of the guard soon after the celebrations were over as a gesture of gratitude, although Ryuuichi honestly did not feel worthy of such a position. He stayed by the king's side solely out of loyalty for the kingdom that had taken him in as one of their own and...for her.

He sat back down on the boulder he had designated as his seat for the night and sighed. His princess was the most important person in the entire world to him yet she and her father were the only people close to him who did not know about his true origins.

And because of that, he was one month away from losing her.

The movement in his satchel caught his attention and out jumped the furry creature inside, transforming into the old Dragovian man that was his maternal grandfather. Now that he was told the truth, Chen Mui would often transform back and forth between the pet rodent he had named as Munchie and the Dragovian's human form. However, it was only done when the other was absolutely certain that no one else was around.

"What is calling you back to the Sanctuary, Ryuuichi?" the old man asked him, taking a seat close to the fire but not to him.

Ryuuichi didn't quite understand why the Dragovian would often sit so far from him in his human form, but the captain of the guard guessed it was because of the guilt that still haunted the old Dragovian. If he was in his shoes, Ryuuichi might have probably felt the same way. But nonetheless, he was happy that he had _family _now even if he still wasn't very talkative to the Dragovian.

He stared back into the fire and then down at his hands, hands that were rough and calloused from the years of training with the sword and other weapons. Funny how he had countless of years in weapons training yet he needed barely little instruction in magic, he realized. Perhaps the answer lied within his Dragovian blood.

"...I don't know," Ryuuichi finally said after a while. His lips unconsciously curled into a sad smile for a brief second. "To learn a few more things, perhaps."

He took out his father's ring that hung on a necklace around his neck, hidden beneath his clothes. The ruby color of the Argon heart embedded inside the silver ring reflected back a small image of himself, reminding him just how different this ring was beginning to mean to him. Ever since Chen Mui had given him the ring, he had found it to be a source of comfort for his troubled thoughts.

Chen Mui sighed. "Going back to speak to the Lord of Dragovians will not help you solve the conflict that you have within yourself, Ryuuichi. Plus, it is extremely dangerous to venture in there alone. You know that."

"I know."

"I cannot help you once inside."

"I know."

"You might never come back."

A slight pause. "...I know."

Chen Mui watched his grandson's reactions to his words. He had only seen this look on his grandson's face on a very few occassions and only when it concerned a certain princess to a certain kingdom he worked for. He noted the young man's interest in her a long time ago, and the feeling had only deepened between them over the years they had been together. He remembered how devastated Ryuuichi had been when he heard news of Medea's arranged engagement with Prince Charmles of Argonia, an unknown man to him at the time; and he remembered how beside himself he was when he interacted with the princess from there on afterwards like she was someone that should have never been touched by him.

And then he remembered just how stunned he was when it dawned onto him that he, too, was a prince to Argonia. Charmles just happened to be his cousin.

"Princess Medea's wedding will be in less than a month from now if you keep this up," Chen Mui said. "So why did you decide to take this journey here, this close to the wedding?" He watched for his grandson's reaction. "Why haven't you told either king about _where you come from_? Why haven't you told the princess? The answer is very simple, Ryuuichi."

Ryuuichi frowned, the muscles in his jaw tense. He knew why he didn't say anything; he did not want to create an uproar, nor was he one who sought for power. Rapthorne's reign of terror had only recently ended and there was no need for any more confusion among the ruins of reconstruction around the world. A good start to rebuilding a normal life was to continue the unification of a marriage that was supposed to have taken place long before Rapthorne was set free by the crazed jester, Dhoulmagus. At least, that what he was trying to convince himself should be right.

"It's...better this way," he finally said.

Chen Mui shook his head and sighed. "What might be better for the rest of the world does not mean that it will guarantee _your _happiness. You have already done your part for the world: you defeated Rapthorne, an impossible feat that you and the others made possible. What happens in the future should just lay there. I'm sure that...your parents would have wanted you to live happily with the one you love, Ryuuichi." He paused.

"I, too, want you to be happy."

An awkward silence fell among grandfather and grandson, united by blood yet so far apart from each other by distance. It was a somewhat uncomfortable relationship and neither liked to speak too much about the blood that they shared. It was all too new for Ryuuichi and all too painful for Chen Mui.

However, the young man wanted to **know** -- wanted to _**remember **_what kind of child he was like at the Sanctuary, what kind of people his parents were like and what kind of love they shared that caused both to greet one another in death. _That_, in all, was what troubled him the most among other things.

"What..." Ryuuichi finally broke the silence. "...What kind of person was she like? Xia. My mother. How much did she...and my father love one another?"

Chen Mui looked up in surprise although Ryuuichi was watching the fire again, occasionally poking it with the stick in his hand. He had expected the young man to ask but not so soon.

"Xia...your mother was a very kind...caring person," Chen Mui began. "She was stubborn when it came to what she wanted."

He chuckled. "Sometimes her stubbornness was what made her stand out from the rest at home."

Silence once again fell in between, but it was not as uncomfortable as before. Ryuuichi was only content in listening and Chen Mui cleared his throat to stop the wave of emotions from rising in his head.

"She feared nothing and welcomed everything. Your mother, when everything went against her, was extremely brave in meeting the challenge. That was what might have drawn your father to her when they...first met."

He remembered when he had finally discovered the two of them together, how angry he had been and how Eltrio gently pushed Xia protectively behind her, requesting him for Xia's hand in marriage with determined eyes.

"When I discovered the relationship between your parents...they had been laughing. Xia rarely laughed in the Sanctuary...and did not speak too often. But upon seeing them together, I saw just how happy she was -- only to be blinded by my own biases against humans."

Chen Mui took a deep breath, controlling the sadness and guilt that dwelled within him. "They were very determined to stay together even when I took your mother back with me. I didn't see that until we saw your father at the gates...and your mother had stopped smiling all over again."

Ryuuichi looked up from the fire, watching his grandfather smile sadly at what memories he had and unconsciously nodding his head.

"But the last time your mother smiled was when she had you, before dying from exhaustion. She...I believe that your mother wanted you to be free from the restrictions that she had had with me and the rest of the Sanctuary. You look very much like your father, but you resemble your mother in more ways than one. They had gone far to express how much they loved each other...and they made me realize just how much they did. You possess both sides of them, which was one of the many reasons why I asked the Lord of Dragovians to stay with you. I...I did not want you to go through what I myself had put your parents through."

Chen Mui met his grandson's eyes. "Be true to your heart, Ryuuichi. Go back and speak to King Trode."


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **I've changed this part from the game a little bit because...well, the 2nd ending for the game seems to repeat the first and it would be too redundant for me to repeat the scenes that happened there to here. Plus... you would think that if you _knew_ that you were also from a royal bloodline, wouldn't you be...I don't know...a bit more reactive? So with this in mind, I had to add that for the Hero (aka Ryuuichi in this fic). I hope it worked...

**DISCLAIMERS:** DQ8 is owned by Squeenix, not me.

* * *

**Dragon Quest VIII: Secrets**

**-Chapter Four: Recipe for Surprise-**

When he arrived at the palace, he really wasn't expecting for everything he had been dreading for to arrive so quickly. The servants that bustled around the courtyard had paid no attention to his arrival – minds already preoccupied with something more important to them than the return of the captain of the guard. Only his men, it seemed, recognized him as he approached the castle doors but even then it had taken a moment for them to see who he was as he was dressed in the light traveling clothes that he was known for wearing.

"Captain," one of the two men guarding the doors greeted. "You are back from your trip already?"

"Yes," Ryuuichi replied a bit awkwardly. It had been months since he had been promoted to this new and demanding position but that still didn't mean he was used to the formality of being called "Captain" – even to men who were much older than him and had a lot more experience. "Some…issues arrived when I was about to reach my destination."

He quickly glanced around the courtyard, taking note of the cheerful (Trodain was always a cheerful place before the curse was set into place, but the air he felt now seemed a little bit _too _cheerful than normal) atmosphere surrounding it. Something was off and yet somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind feared for the worst.

"Where is Aexi's unit?" he asked as he turned back around. "They are supposed to be guarding the gates, aren't they?"

The last thing he needed right now was to reprimand Trodain's soldiers for their lack of vigilance.

The two guards shared a look. It wasn't new news to them or to the rest of the castle except for the king himself that their captain and princess were in love.

The man Ryuuichi addressed earlier replied, "King Trode summoned for their presence. Actually, you came back just in time, Captain. The wedding date for Princess Medea and the Prince Charmles of Argonia has been moved up and –"

He did not bother to hear the rest as he entered the castle and made his way up to the throne room. His mind was now swirling with questions. It had only been two weeks ago when he left to make a trip to the Dragovian Sanctuary and there had really been no indication that the date would be moved. Ryuuichi inwardly thanked his grandfather for talking him out of entering into a sure suicide attempt into the dungeon alone. If he came back like he had planned earlier…

The young captain of the guard entered the throne room without even thinking of announcing himself. Nobody had tried to stop him and he was merely going on through by pure adrenaline. He hadn't even planned on what he was going to say but it didn't matter for as soon as he stepped foot in the room, all words were lost to him.

Ryuuichi had known her since the day he was brought into the very room as an orphan all those years ago, but he could never get used to the wide, innocent ocean blue eyes that had begun his spiraling journal of falling in love. Did he really deserve to be with her?

It was only her father's voice that dragged him back to reality.

"Ichi, my boy, you're back already?" King Trode asked the young man in surprise.

Somehow his body had willed itself forward – past the royal advisors and the men whome he noticed missing upon his arrival – to stop and kneel at the steps of his king. He only dared to take his eyes away from _her _when he kneeled reverently to King Trode and remained staring at the velvet roll of carpet beneath him.

"Yes, your Majesty," he heard himself say. "Everything finished much more quickly than I expected."

_I have something to say to you that could change your daughter's future…_

He could feel the king nod happily before him, oblivious to the spinning arena of his thoughts.

"Excellent timing, then. I was beginning to panic when I received King Clavius' letter the other day."

_I'm part of a royal bloodline, your Majesty – of the very line in which your kingdom had promised to join ties with. I'm – _

"It seems that he is anxious to get the wedding underway and so Medea's wedding has been pushed up from two weeks to two days from now."

The message felt as if a dagger stabbed straight through his heart. He immediately lifted his head and stared at the petite king with disbelief.

"…What?"

King Trode met his stare with a worrying frown, scratching his head and apparently not seeing the underlying tone hidden in his voice. "Yes, I was just as surprised as you are now. I sent back a reply recently stating that it's much too soon and our kingdom has not finished the preparations. I was about to order your best men to escort the princess with Jessica, Angelo, and Yangus to Savella since there was no way to contact you, but since you have returned, I have no need to worry."

What Ryuuichi wanted to say after his king finished shattered to pieces. It would not be appropriate for him to speak the truth of his identity now, not when the pieces to his princess's fate were locked into place.

It was impossible to say it now, not when everything was finally beginning to calm down.

The young captain of the guard, half Dragovian, and lost Argonian prince gave one last secret look at his princess before he bowed his head in reverence.

"As you wish, your Majesty."

* * *

-_A day later..._-

"You didn't **tell** him?? **Any **of them?!?" came Angelo's incredulous response when the young man finally revealed to his friends the truth of what was going on.

Ryuuichi merely nodded as he absentmindedly stared out the window of the only inn in Savella. The reflection that stared back at him did not resemble the man he was a day earlier – dressed in the official "casual" wear of Trodain's captain of the guard. Gone were the typically bright and faded colors that had allowed him to blend in with the surroundings of both commoner and wilderness, replaced by Trodain's royal colors of silver and burgundy. Even his trademark bandanna was gone, allowing all to see the unruly mop of his brown hair.

It made him wonder if this was what he was going to be like for a long time if the events of the following day proceeded as planned.

"Why di'n't you tell anybody, Guv?" Yangus asked on the bed next to him.

"So that's why this wedding is still taking place…" Jessica noted, sitting in a chair nearby. "I'm sure that there was plenty of time to tell the king and princess."

"Six months, to be precise," Angelo pointed out, eyes narrowed at the young half Dragovian with suspicion. He was originally leaning against the wall of their room but now resorted to standing. "As another prince of Argonia, you have every right to tell them, including King Clavius."

_**Why are you doing this to yourself, Ryuuichi? **_His grandfather's question the evening before he left for Savella flashed back to him.

Ryuuichi closed his eyes momentarily. "I'm no prince, Angelo."

"Then what does that ring Chen Mui gave to you mean? What did that story he told you mean?" Angelo paused in mid thought as if he finally realized that something was missing. "Wait…was that why you didn't bring him along?"

Ryuuichi finally tore his gaze away from the dark scenery outside. "He would only make matters worse if I brought him along."

His comrades stared at him in stunned silence at the tone of his voice. He took this opportunity to stand and walk across the room to leave.

He paused at the door when Jessica asked: "So you're going to let her marry Charmles when you both love each other?"

He turned his head slightly, his bangs covering his eyes. "I ask that all of you not involve yourselves in interrupting the ceremony tomorrow. If you do…I will have to take my position as captain seriously."

Without allowing himself to hear another word from them, he left.

* * *

He didn't know what possessed him to do this as he stared up at the beautifully crafted cathedral before him beyond the bushes he hid from. Security was light, but moonlight prevented him from entering the front door directly. He searched for a different entrance to slip into while keeping an eye on the routes that the few guards around the cathedral took. It wasn't very long for him to find an opening.

Clutching the ring around his neck and hidden beneath his robes, Ryuuichi made a dash to the side entrance of the cathedral and slid in quietly. He felt guilty for not letting anyone know of what he was about to do, but he did not want to involve them in his affairs as much as they were already in.

Besides, he was not going to allow himself to be outsmarted by the stumbling and greedy oaf that was his cousin.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMERS: **Me no own DQ8.

* * *

**Dragon Quest VIII**

_-Chapter Five – Wedding Day-_

He didn't quite know where he was going, but he knew _who _he wanted to go to and it really wouldn't take long to convince her to come along with him. Ryuuichi walked quickly through the hallways of the cathedral, hiding between a statue or a corner of the wall whenever he felt or heard the presence of another nearby. Security was light, too light for his tastes, and he dimly wondered to himself it he was falling into a trap of sorts. Of course, the notion was silly to think of. Who would want to set up a trap during a peaceful wedding ceremony?

The young Trodain captain of the guard found himself wandering up towards the office of the recent High Lord Priest, now unoccupied since Marcello's disappearance. There were other rooms that she could be residing in, yet something was drawing him here. Making sure that there was nobody around, Ryuuichi slid into the office without a sound. His eyes locked onto a figure standing outside at the balcony and for a second his heart sank.

This wasn't where Medea was staying.

The tall, blond figure turned around at hearing the click of the door lock into place, his weary blue eyes meeting his current dark brown in faint surprise. Ryuuichi bowed at the king in respect, acknowledging his own presence.

"You…you're the one who asked for the mirror," King Clavius stated, the memory returning to him.

Ryuuichi gave a slight nod, wondering what to do. It wouldn't do to turn back around – he _was _in the presence of the king of Argonia after all and to turn back around would mean an insult. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants and frantically tried to think of a good excuse to leave.

"You seem to be troubled about something, young man," the king said to him and entered back inside the room. "Is there anything that I can help you with? Our kingdom is very much in debt to you after you gave aid to that foolish son of mine."

Ryuuichi paused in mid-thought as he stared at the king. This man was his uncle, he realized. It now made sense why he was so surprised when he met him the first time they arrived at Argonia's castle. He recalled back to his grandfather's stories that he supposedly greatly resembled his father, Eltrio.

The half Dragovian unconsciously let his hand stray to his necklace and the ring that resided there.

_**As another prince of Argonia, you have every right to tell them, including King Clavius.**_

"Actually, Your Majesty," he began, walking towards the king. "I…have something to give to you."

He slipped the necklace off over his head and held the ring in his open hand for the king to see. King Clavius' eyes widened at the sight of the familiar faint glow of an Argon heart embedded inside the jewelry.

"This is…"

* * *

(A few hours later…) 

"I see…so you _are _Eltrio's son."

The two men stood at the balcony, having moved there when Ryuuichi suggested to get some fresh air as he told his story. Now the half Dragovian stared out at the vast gardens that decorated the cathedral with its true beauty obscured by the darkness of the night.

"When my older brother disappeared, everyone in the kingdom was devastated," the older man continued. "He was well-liked, strong, handsome, and friendly to all those around him. He was everything that our parents could ask for. It took a very long time for me to follow in his footsteps…"

Silence fell among them, each left with their own thoughts, until King Clavius once again spoke.

"I am sorry, I cannot accept you as the heir," he said, shaking his head and turning to meet him eye to eye. "It is not that I do not believe you…your eyes tell me the truth much better than your words, and…I had always known deep inside myself somewhere that there was something about you that resembled Eltrio. To find out that you are his son – it is unmistakable that you are; you look exactly like my brother."

He paused to allow Ryuuichi a moment to ingest his reasons. "However, for another heir to suddenly appear would cause turmoil among both kingdoms. I'm sure that you understand that."

The half Dragovian continued to remain silent. He was expecting this kind of response from his estranged uncle, the current king of Argonia, but he was disappointed all the same. He had managed to pull himself this far without thinking about the result of his actions. He had pushed those reasons aside with the aid of his grandfather and what his heart told him to do, what his _friends _had also pushed for him to do.

"…I do understand, Your Majesty," he finally began, watching his folded hands tighten in determination at what he was about to say. The logical part of his mind told him that the words were fit to toss him in the dungeons, but right now he really didn't care anymore.

Not when this situation revolved around her.

"However, I will not back down on the decision that I have forced upon myself…what I should have done long before this went into full motion." He paused to look for the right words to continue on. "I…I do not ask to become the next ruler of Argonia nor do I wish to. Despite who I am, my loyalties lie with Trodain and only Trodain. All I ask is…for you to stop this wedding from taking place."

He turned towards King Clavius now, noticing the other man's reaction. He knew that his eyes had shifted color.

"Princess Medea does not want this union to happen just as much as I do. She is forcing herself to do this because she is respecting the duty that has been set upon her since birth…even though she loves another…."

He knew that she loved him more than the brotherly figure he sought out to be without ever hearing her voice the words, but they always played the safety game when it revolved around their feelings for each other. But he didn't dare voice those words out.

"And…and I am doing my part of this old promise as the legitimate heir to Argonia…"

He turned around and headed for the door before he could betray anything else to the king, pausing only a moment to glance back.

"I understand that you are allowing my estranged cousin to run this wedding as he wants to because he is your only son. But will this union make him happy?"

* * *

([The next day…) 

He had awoken early the next day only to find that he was the only person left in the room. Ryuuichi smiled bitterly to himself as he changed into the only clothes he brought along with him – more semi-formal attire made for the captain of Trodain.

He wasn't surprised that his friends were not here especially after his cold and uncaring attitude performance the night before. He wondered if they decided to leave the island without him. However when he left the room and entered the main hall, he was surprised to find all three waiting for him with knowing smiles on their faces.

"Did you have a thoughtful and wild night last night, Guv?" Angelo joked and return received an unexpected elbow in the gut by Jessica.

He merely stared at them, almost speechless. "How…"

Jessica took out a piece of paper from her belt, waving it around as evidence. "You left this on the nightstand when you came back. I, well Angelo really, couldn't help but be curious to see what it was. Why do you need a map of the cathedral that listed the assumed number of guards surrounding the area when the wedding takes place?"

Ryuuichi let out a sigh, but he found himself smiling. "Was my acting that bad?"

"Well, we all thot y'were actin' a bit funny, Guv," Yangus piped in. "So we waited 'til y'were fast asleep t'figure out wot was goin' on."

Ryuuichi let out another sigh, brushing back his unruly hair in embarrassment. He was a fool to think he could get away at doing this by himself.

"Well," Angelo said, tightening the grip of his gloves," we have a wedding to crash, don't we?"

* * *

With the help of the map, they developed a plan to slip into the cathedral without notice just as Ryuuichi himself had done the night before. The half Dragovian stood on his tip-toes to scan over the crowd that gathered in front of the cathedral, waiting for some type of opening to arrive as he and Yangus waited for Angelo and Jessica return. So focused on the front doors was he that it took a hard tap on the shoulder by the former bandit for him to snap back to reality. 

"Oi, Guv, 'ere they come!"

He turned around to see the pair trotting back towards them. His heart dropped a little at the looks on their faces. He didn't even need to ask about their end, but Yangus took over that task.

"How's your end?"

The silver haired man shook his head. "No good. It's completely blocked in the back."

Ryuuichi inwardly cursed to himself. Perhaps he shouldn't have talked to King Clavius after all.

"So wot're we goin' t'do now?" Yangus asked no one in particular. "Y'think we can jus' barge in there?"

"We might just have to," Jessica answered, one hand touching her chin in thought. "The ceremony is about to begin, but there isn't sign of King Trode or Princess Medea yet."

They looked at him for some possible solution as they had done in the past.

As he thought, all he could think of was the risk they were taking was perhaps the only solution lest he destroy himself for his mistake. He loved her, and she loved him – that was all that mattered.

"Jessica," he addressed the red haired mage, "do you think you can cast a Snooze spell on the guards?"

She pondered the question for a moment. "…It might be a bit tricky for _all _of the guards because of their own magical abilities…"

He looked at Angelo and Yangus. "If there are, take care of them. I'll get in there as fast as possible."

They nodded and he looked back to the front, hand straying to touch the hilt of his Liquid Metal sword to make sure it was secure, before he pushed through the crowd and marched forward.

* * *

When he burst through the doors, he was expecting to arrive at the perfect moment, the moment where the priest would as if anybody would object and take the opportunity to set what he should have done months before right. However, the young Trodain captain found himself in the middle of opening ceremonies with neither the princess nor her father to be seen. 

His estranged cousin was up at the altar, staring at him along with the rest of the invited guests in the cathedral. Ryuuichi's attention immediately went to the four guards on either side of him and they were approaching him with caution as his hand went to the hilt of his sword.

"You! What are _you _doing here?" he could hear the screeching, nasalized voice of Prince Charmles echo in the cathedral. "Guards, get him!"

"Stop!" a familiar voice boomed, standing to reveal himself as King Clavius.

The guards had stopped at their advance and Ryuuichi turned back to the front, confused. The king of Argonia looked at Ryuuichi with eyes that said to the young man that he had expected this.

"You are not to touch him," the king ordered. "He is the rightful heir to marry Princess Medea."

His son stared at him in disbelief and a collected gasp echoed in the audience.

"Wha…Father, what do you mean?" Charmles asked him when he finally managed to regain his will to speak.

The hand over his sword fell back to his side as Ryuuichi watched the scene before him unfold, shocked. The king tore his gaze away from Ryuuichi and back to his son. "That man standing there is my brother's son, your cousin, Charmles."

He took out the chained necklace that Ryuuichi had given him the night before out of his cloak and held it out for all to see.

"Wha—what?!?" his son exclaimed.

"This is my older brother, Eltrio's ring, Charmles. I remember the day he returned from his hunt to retrieve this Argon heart." He turned back to Ryuuichi. "You are right. The person who should marry Princess Medea should be you, not my son."

Charmles objected. "This is nonsense! Father, what are you talking about? The person who should be marrying Princess Medea is **me**, not him! I didn't go through that trial to get that Argon heart for nothing!"

"**You **obtained the Argon heart??" King Clavius' blue eyes flashed angrily. "Then how can you explain _**this**_?"

He picked up a box that was next to him and opened it, revealing a large Argon heart inside. Charmles gasped and stumbled to the floor as he attempted to back away from the jewel.

"This was the Argon heart that Ryuuichi obtained and brought back to me after you went and bought _another _one!" The king of Argonia narrowed his eyes. "I know that is something that I have _**never **_taught you. And you still have the dignity to call yourself a prince??"

He turned back to his guests. "This wedding ceremony will still continue. However the groom will be replaced by the one who has truly stolen Princess Medea's heart and is the true heir to the kingdom of Argonia…the latter if he only wishes to."

Ryuuichi stared at the king in disbelief, his reaction to the older man's words only to blink. He must have ordered the guards to bring him forward because the young man couldn't budge on his own. He no longer took note of his surroundings as he stood at the altar, wondering to himself if he was dreaming.

His stupor was broken when the doors of the cathedral opened and revealed King Trode and Princess Medea who was surprised at his appearance before them. Oddly though, King Trode did not look too surprised to see him there. Ryuuichi wondered to himself if the two kings talked to one another after he left, but those thoughts were taken aside when she approached the altar still looking at him in wonder. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown; he only wished he was given time to be in the black tuxedo usually worn in your own wedding – but his captain attire would have to do.

When she had asked him what was going on as the ceremony continued did he realize that this was not a dream. He merely smiled at her. Only when their vows were taken did he lean forward and whispered to her:

"It's a secret."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** And finally the final chapter is up! It hasn't ended to what I actually liked for it to be, but it's been a while since I have finished the second ending to the game and I really had to jog my memory to remember what had actually happened. I hope that this has been an enjoyment to you guys as much as it has been mine and thank you very much for putting up with my delays! 


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